This should probably be posted at DKE, but I couldn't figure out how to do that. If a mod reads this, I'd appreciate if it could be posted there as well. Anyways...
Illinois Democrats have released their proposed Congressional map. Because everyone's mouth has been watering over this map...
See it for yourself.
I'll just point out a few things I found interesting:
- Giving it a quick glance without having run any numbers it looks like Dems could win 13 seats (1,2,3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11,12,13, and 17).
- Hultgren and Walsh have been thrown together.
- Biggert is currently in Quigley's district so she's even more likely to retire now.
- Kinzinger is going to have to move because he is in JJJ's district which is unwinnable for a Republican.
- Foster, under the new map, still lives in the 14th. It's unlikely this district would elect a Democrat. Foster's current home in Batavia could have easily been drawn into the 11th so clearly the powers that be hoped to discourage him from running.
- Related to the above observation, Burr Ridge is in the 11th. Burr Ridge is the home of Dan Lipinski's potential primary foe, John Atkinson. So if Foster moves to Aurora, Naperville, etc... this could set up a Foster-Atkinson primary.
- The 17th takes in both Peoria and Rockford.
- In my opinion, this map is actually cleaner than the current Congressional map
- Shimkus will have to decide whether to run in the 13th (his home district) or 12th which I'd say are both Tossup/Lean Democrat or to run in a primary against Johnson in the 15th which is Safe Republican.
- Schock, unless their's a scandal or a Senate run, is safe for 10 years.
I'm sure there is a whole lot more I'll notice later, but that's good for now.